Dancing debutant Motomu Sakai conquers Ally Pally: "The more I dance, the more my darts fly well"

Motomu Sakai had already won over Alexandra Palace before his final dart found the double. On his World Championship debut, the Japanese player stole not only the crowd’s hearts with his dance moves and theatrical expressions, but also the match itself.

With a convincing 3-0 victory over Thibault Tricole, Sakai advanced comfortably to the second round of the World Darts Championship. Afterwards, he appeared beaming in front of the cameras, reflecting on an evening he won’t soon forget.

“Thank you very much. Thank you to everyone. I just feel very happy,” Sakai said immediately after the match. The result even surprised him a little. “I was hoping for a 3-2 win.”

On stage, the Japanese player looked relaxed, energetic and above all enjoyed himself. According to him, that had everything to do with his now-famous dancing.

“I believe that the more I dance, the more my darts fly well,” Sakai said. Every good score was accompanied by a rhythmic move or a funny face, something the Alexandra Palace crowd gladly embraced. “I could hear everything, all the support from behind me, so that was giving me a lot of power.”

It was Sakai’s first appearance on the iconic World Championship stage in London, and the nerves were certainly there beforehand. “Yes, I was very nervous,” he admitted. Yet little of that showed on stage. The Japanese player threw with freedom and visible confidence, something he brought with him from his strong performances on the Asian Tour.

“Yes, I’m always full of confidence,” he said. Sakai finished the year second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and noted that the level in Asia is continuing to rise. “Yes, it’s true. I’m very happy that the Asian level is rising and it’s helped me a lot. I hope there will be more opportunities for Asian players to come over here.”

He suspects his performance did not go unnoticed back home either. Sakai seemed to know exactly where the cameras were and visibly played to the audience in Japan. “Yes, I hope 100% of the Japanese people are watching me,” he said. And what else would he be doing in London besides playing darts? “Yes, I’m going to keep dancing.”

That fits perfectly with his nickname, The Creature. Sakai does not have that nickname for nothing. “Because I always make weird faces, and everybody tells me that I look like a creature when I make those faces,” he explained. Asked whether he had always been such a ‘crazy’ character on stage, his answer was brief but clear: “That means yes.”

Sakai’s next opponent is Andreas Harrysson, and he was already looking ahead to that challenge. “I’m ready for him,” he said. His ambition stretches far beyond the next round, however. Asked what his goal was upon arriving in London, his response was emphatic. “Champion. Champion. My aim was to be champion, but I don’t have to say that.”

His love for darts began at a young age, with a rather unusual motivation. “When I was 16 years old, my friends told me that I could become popular among girls if I could play darts. So that’s why I started,” Sakai explained. Today, darts is his sole profession. “Darts player only.”

He drew inspiration from his home country, naming Suzuki Takehiro as his idol. “You don’t know him? He’s a very cheerful person. He’s Japanese. Enjoy player. Very good player,” said Sakai. He hopes his own success can help darts grow further in Japan. “Yes, I think all the people in Japan will start playing darts.”

There was also late tension in the match itself. In the final leg, Sakai missed five match darts before finally converting the sixth. What was going through his mind at that moment? “I can’t say that,” he smiled. “I was really praying that my dart goes in.”

His walk-on song also caught the attention of fans. It turns out to come from an anime. “It’s from an anime. It’s a sorcerer that has special power,” Sakai explained. Power was something he had in abundance on the night. Finally, he was asked what he would do if he went on to win the title and claim the £1 million prize. Sakai did not hesitate. “First, I would give many gifts to my mother. House. House. To my family.”